


It's Code

by lesbianbean



Series: you want the world/well what's it worth? [10]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, American Politics, Boss/Employee Relationship, F/F, Humor, Jealousy, Older Woman/Younger Woman, Possessiveness, Rule 63, Shameless references to "Enter the Nightbird", This is really a Soundwave and Starscream friendship fic tbh, Zero Days Since Our Last Nonsense, unlikely friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 10:11:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17444912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianbean/pseuds/lesbianbean
Summary: Nightbird is a talented statistician who wants to offer advice to the Majority Leader's office. What could go wrong? Everything, Soundwave realizes. Everything is what could go wrong.





	It's Code

Soundwave had seen the tense confrontation between Starscream and Ratchet on _Face The Nation_ and immediately hopped off the stair stepper and bolted for the shower, cutting her workout short. By the time she got to the Capitol, Starscream and Megatron were already yelling at each other, loudly enough that she could hear it down the hallway as the elevator door dinged open.

“I don’t know why I let you within ten feet of a camera, seeming you were clearly too caught up in choosing the right outfit to read over the briefing notes. All you needed to say was that we didn’t want to spend taxpayer dollars on an inefficient program. But instead, you caved.”

“I didn’t fucking  _cave_! Ratchet had just gone off about how Congress was unwilling to compromise, so I said that we would  _consider_ moving some things around. If I didn’t say that she would have just called me an obstructionist for the rest of the program.”  
The yelling increased in volume as she opened the door to the office.

“Um, hello?”

A young man in a muted purple suit was sitting on the couch, looking uncomfortable. Soundwave drew a momentary blank and then she remembered.

“Nightbird. You are early.”

He nodded, standing up and reaching out to shake her hand, using his other hand to balance his enormous laptop bag. “Yeah, I hope that’s all right? I’m always early to things. I showed up for an exam once before the teacher did.” Soundwave shook his hand and then fired off a quick text to Megatron, hoping the majority leader would recognize her ringtone and stop yelling at her chief of staff long enough to realize that they weren’t alone.

“Fine. You created this problem, you can fix it. Find the money in the budget for the program. _Without_ increasing the overall cost.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“You’ll do it or you’ll find employment elsewhere. Although I doubt another office would take you.”

“You--you--go to hell!”

Nightbird looked uncomfortable. “Should I...”

“Negative.” Soundwave unlocked her own office, fishing her laptop out of her bag and slipping the salad she had packed for lunch into the mini fridge. Nightbird was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room when she returned. “Is the senator in? I mean, obviously, she’s in but is she--”

“Suggestion: Do not inquire into the senator’s methods.” Soundwave knocked on the door to Megatron’s office. Megatron opened the door looking thunderous, her face only softening slightly when she saw their guest.

“Soundwave. May I ask why you’ve seen fit to interrupt my meeting?”

“Senator, your nine-thirty is here.”

“My nine-thirty. Ah, yes, the polling expert.” She nodded at Nightbird, who was still standing in the middle of the room. “Nightbird, is it?”

“Yes, Senator. I have to say, I am a huge fan of your work. The data collection methods you used in your reelection campaign were very impressive.”

Megatron smiled faintly, shaking his hand. “Thank you, although I can’t take all of the credit, Soundwave here developed the formula.”  Nightbird glanced over at Soundwave, and then back at Megatron. Soundwave recognized the look on his face--people often got that way around Megatron. The senator continued. “I quite admire your work in data journalism as well. It’s the only thing I actually enjoy on _538_.”

“Hmph!” Starscream had come over to lean against the doorframe behind Megatron. Megatron rolled her eyes.

“This is my chief of staff, Starscream. Ignore her attitude, she’s currently recovering from embarrassing herself on _Face the Nation_.”

Nightbird nodded at Starscream, who stared flatly at him. He cleared his throat. “I’ve done some polling on the infrastructure legislation you expressed an interest in. Would you like to take a look?” He pulled out a folder and held it out to Megatron, and Megatron smiled.

“I would love to. Come with me.” She put a hand on his shoulder to guide him, stopping Starscream as she tried to follow. “Not you. ”

Starscream looked offended. “I’m your chief of staff! I should hear what he has to say too.”

“You do what I tell you to do.” Megatron closed the door in her face.

“You can’t just leave me out here!” Starscream banged on the door once and shrieked in frustration.

“Suggestion--”

“Soundwave, just shut up.” Starscream swept into her office and slammed the door.

* * *

“Nightbird is coming in tomorrow as well.” Megatron announced that evening as Soundwave and Starscream were pulling on their coats to leave. Starscream whipped around to stare at her in shock.

“Are you serious?”

“I was reviewing the work he’d done regarding public opinion on policy and the methods he used were cutting-edge.”

“Eh,” Starscream tossed her hair over her shoulder. “He’ll burn out fast.”

Megatron ignored her, turning to Soundwave. “Can you pull the documents on last year’s transportation bill? Nightbird said he’d done some work analyzing the public response to it. We’ll go over it tomorrow when he returns. I’m looking forward to seeing more of his work. It’s magnificent.”

Starscream put her hands on her hips, glaring at Megatron. “He’s not so hot!”

“He’s hot enough to replace you whenever I choose.”

Soundwave swung her coat over her shoulder and headed out of the office before the argument escalated any further. She needed to pick Rumble up from debate club and get Frenzy to her part-time laboratory job, and there was a sale on birdseed that she wanted to take advantage of.

The next day, Megatron took Nightbird out for breakfast, staying out later than she usually did. Starscream paced around the office like an angry cat, hissing angrily at the office workers and crumbling up papers. Soundwave had to rescue several mugs and a laptop before Starscream threw them. Megatron didn’t pick up on the atmosphere in the room when she returned. Or she didn’t care.  

“He’s wonderful! You’re definitely on my replacement list, Starscream. Look at this!” She handed Soundwave a tablet. Soundwave saw a chart and some numbers, but Starscream snatched it out of her hand before she could read any more.

“Replace me? Never!”

Megatron grabbed for the tablet but Starscream threw it at Nightbird, who barely caught it. The majority leader glared. “Yes, why would I replace someone who can’t even fix the budget problem she caused with someone who’s going to win the Phi Beta Kappa next year.”

Nightbird looked at Megatron, surprised. “Do you really think so?”

Megatron patted him on the shoulder. “I know so.” Starscream shoved between them and stormed out of the office. Megatron snorted. “Brat.”

Soundwave expected Starscream to come back to the office, but she never did.

* * *

 Several hours later, Soundwave left the office for lunch, taking the stairs instead of the elevator to get some more steps in. She was listening to NPR, as she always did on her walk to lunch, and was so absorbed in the news that she nearly tripped over Starscream, who was sitting on the bottom step.

“Watch where you’re going you fucking--oh God, it’s you.”

“Starscream.”

“Can you _see_ anything through those stupid fucking glasses?” She turned away from the policy director quickly but Soundwave could see that her eyes were red-rimmed and watery.

“Starscream: distressed.”

Starscream violently wiped at her eyes. “I’m not--just _fuck off_ , all right, Soundwave? Go do something boring and useless and just _leave me alone_.” She pulled out her phone and angrily fumbled with it for a moment before dropping it on the ground with a clatter. “ _Goddamnit_!”

Soundwave considered just going to lunch but something about watching Starscream scramble to pick her phone off the ground stopped her from leaving. She had a file on Starscream, just like she did on every important figure in Washington, but that didn’t mean she understood her colleague. In general, she understood nothing about Starscream. But seeing the chief of staff swearing a blue streak while she scrambled to pick up her phone made her think that perhaps she didn’t need to understand anything except that Starscream was alone.

She sighed, thinking longingly of the new _Serial_ she’d been planning to listen to while she ate her favorite mushroom tart, and then reached out to help Starscream up.

“Suggestion: Join me for lunch.”

Starscream huffed. “I’m not hungry.”

“Starscream: would rather sulk in the stairwell?”

“Fine.” She wiped at her eyes again and smeared her mascara further. “But you’d better not talk to me about Nightbird. Or Mega-idiot.”

“Soundwave: does not wish to discuss work.” She gave her one of the individually wrapped makeup wipes she kept in her purse and wondered why she had even bothered.

* * *

 The cafe, called “Slipstream DC” was one of Soundwave’s favorites--well-lit, always humming softly with the voices of other customers and only a short walk from the Capitol building. Starscream appraised it, unimpressed.  

“I have a cousin named Slipstream.” She paused, examining her nails. “He’s an asshole.”

Soundwave ignored her, pushing the door open and giving her sunglasses a quick polish on her jacket. The barista smiled at Soundwave, gesturing to her favorite table.  
“Always good to see you, Soundwave. The usual?”

“Affirmative.”

“And for your friend?”

“I’ll have a vodka. Neat.”

Soundwave held up a hand. “Negative. Drinking during office hours violates the Majority Leader’s work policy.”

“Oh, come on! Half of Congress is drunk most of the time.”

“Starscream: will have a white chocolate mocha and avocado toast.”

“Don’t order for me, I’m not a fucking child.” She looked down at the menu. “I’ll have... Fine. I’ll have the avocado toast. And, um, do you make iced white chocolate mochas?” The barista looked confused.

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll have one of those. With two extra shots.” She buried her head in her hands as the barista left. “God, I hate this fucking city.”

Soundwave glanced at her phone, noticing that Frenzy had texted.

<A+ on my AP Bio exam!! Can we get pizza for dinner?>

<Affirmative.>

“You seem happy.” Starscream half-lifted her head off the table, propping her chin on her fist.“It’s weird.”

“Frenzy did well on an exam.”

“Oh.” She realized that Starscream had probably forgotten she had children. “Um, which one is Frenzy?” Soundwave sighed and looked back at her phone. “Didn’t she spill her frappuccino on my Vera Wang suit jacket right before that jobs rally?”

“That was Rumble.”

“Oh. Then congratulations to Frenzy.”

“Starscream: in touch with her family?”

Starscream glared at her. “Don’t you try to get in my head.”

The barista returned with their food. Starscream wrinkled her nose at Soundwave’s delicate mug of tea. “What’s in that?”

“Jasmine tea. A favorite of mine.” Starscream snorted and took a drag of her own sugary disaster of a drink. “What is your plan to address the military budget issue?”

“You said you didn’t want to talk about work.”

“Apologies. In the past, I have found discussing a variety of possible solutions with a colleague helpful.”

“Really? Do you do team-building exercises too?” Soundwave took a sip of her tea and gave Starscream the same disapproving stare that she used when Rumble and Frenzy lied about doing their homework or Ravage decided to sit on her briefing papers. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Starscream: has a responsibility to her position.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Starscream stabbed angrily at a chunk of avocado. “All I fucking hear from you and our glorious leader is how I’m an irresponsible fuck-up. Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m bothering to try and fix this budget problem. The senator’s just going to hate whatever I come up with and then gush about your ideas. Or maybe she’ll just ask fucking _Nightbird_ for advice.” She ripped her toast in half.

“Observation: Basing one’s worth on the approval of others is unconstructive.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Soundwave: does not base her worth on the approval of anyone, including Megatron. Method: superior. Wasting time comparing oneself to colleagues: inferior.”

“I don’t--” Starscream took another swig of her drink and huffed angrily. “I don’t do that.” Soundwave raised an eyebrow. “I _don’t_.”

“Jealousy over Nightbird: preventing an effective solution to the military budget problem.”

“I’m not jealous!”

Soundwave considered presenting the evidence to the contrary but she suspected Starscream would throw something at her if she did. “Observation: the military budget has money reserved for a military base in North Carolina.”

Starscream snorted, reaching across the table to steal a forkful of Soundwave’s tart. “Yeah, I saw. It’s a hundred percent pork--North Carolina doesn’t need another military base, but Bonecrusher is up for reelection soon and she’s always threatening to go rogue when we need her in line.”

Soundwave used her own fork to block Starscream from swiping more of her lunch. “And if the base were to not be built?”

“Well, we’d have room in the budget to fund research into the infrared system. I’ve thought about it, Soundwave. I have a contact that could help me get Bonecrusher to agree to it but I don’t know about Long Haul.”

“I have information on Long Haul that could be beneficial.”

Starscream stared at her in shock. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”

“Starscream: never inquired.”

“Of course you’re going to make this my fault. And now I have to call Lockdown again, and of course, she’s going to be--” She dropped her fork with a clatter and a slow smile spread across her face. “You know what? That could work. Okay, I’ll handle Bonecrusher, you handle Long Haul, and then we can meet back up in your office in an hour and a half.” She stood, draining the last of her mocha and turning to leave for a moment, and then stopped, looking at Soundwave. Something almost like gratitude flickered across her face, and for a moment she looked like she was going to say something. And then it passed and she was gone. Soundwave shook her head and fished around in her purse for her earbuds, figuring she could at least listen to the first fifteen minutes of her podcast while she finished her tea.  

* * *

Soundwave looked over the adjusted budget plan. “Observation: the new plan allows for funding for the research program.” Long Haul had been very agreeable after Soundwave had reminded her that she had several examples of the senator misusing campaign funds on file. 

“Of course it does.” Starscream shrugged off her blazer and threw it on a side table and sprayed some cheap-smelling perfume on the back of her neck before shaking out her hair and running her fingers through it. “Let’s go tell the mighty Majority Leader.” She clicked into the office.

“Ah, she’s returned. Do you finally have a budget solution, princess?”

Starscream clapped Soundwave on the back. “I do. Well, technically _we_ do. Soundwave and I  contacted the senators from North Carolina and they agreed to a delay in the building of the new military base for five years, which frees up the funding for research into new infrared technology. You can announce it tomorrow. I scheduled you for a press conference at the same time as Prime’s rose garden shindig.”

Nightbird nodded, glancing up from his laptop. “That’ll do it.”

Megatron placed her coffee cup on the desk with a clunk. “And _how_ exactly did you get the senators to agree to this?”

Starscream perched on the arm of one of the leather chairs, folding one elegant leg over another. “Well, Soundwave handled Long Haul, and I handled Bonecrusher.” She examined her nails. “I also talked to some of my more _personal_ contacts. A journalist I knew had some helpful information on one of the senators.”

Megatron folded her hands on the desk, leaning forward. Soundwave was reminded of a tigress crouching, about to tear an unfortunate smaller animal apart. “Starscream, _dear_ , was that journalist by any chance Lockdown?”

Starscream smirked, sharp and altogether too satisfied. With a growing sense of unease, Soundwave realized why she had changed her outfit, and she did _not_ want to stick around to see the end result of this.

“Well, we do have a...relationship, Senator. I know you find her untrustworthy but she’s always been responsive when handled... _delicately_.”  
Megatron stood up, pushing her chair back with a loud scrape and Soundwave jumped up, clearing her throat loudly. Her colleagues looked at her, supposed, and she wondered if they’d forgotten she was in the room. She grabbed Nightbird and pulled him out of his chair, slamming his laptop shut with her other hand and tucking it under her arm.

“Nightbird: has a flight in an hour. Suggestion: I arrange for a ride to National.”

Nightbird looked confused, “Actually it’s in two--”

“Negative. Rush hour traffic: severe. Preparation to leave now: necessary.” Nightbird stumbled backward.

“It was great working with you, Senator.”

Megatron barely glanced over at Nightbird. “Uh-huh. You as well.”

Starscream’s triumphant smile grew. She waved. “Have a great flight, Nightbird.”

* * *

Starscream’s back hit the wall with a satisfying _thunk_. She yelped as Megatron pinned her wrists over her head.

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?”

Megatron hissed the words in her chief of staff’s ear, pressing the smaller woman back into the wall. Starscream was grinning up at her, her sharp eyes bright with excitement.

“I don’t know, Senator. I only did as I was told.”

“Of course. I told you to fix a problem in a professional manner and you responded by batting your eyelashes at that scandal-chasing gossip hound.”

Starscream laughed, high-pitched and fluttery. “Jealous, Senator?”

She smelled faintly like unfamiliar perfume, and something possessive _growled_ in Megatron’s carefully ordered mind. Starscream’s laugh choked off in a shaky gasp when Megatron bit down on her neck, scraping her teeth over the place where her pulse beat. Her wrists strained against Megatron’s grip. “You were jealous first.” The pretty red skirt she was wearing wrinkled as Megatron hiked it up, bunching the fabric in her fist. A shame, it was one of her favorites. “Stomping around the office like a spoiled brat because I _dared_ take someone else’s advice over yours. It’s almost like _you_ think you’re the one in charge here.”

“So you don’t mind that I met with Lockdown?” She leaned forward, brushing their lips together. Her posture was yielding but the look in her eyes was anything but submissive. Megatron pulled back, with tremendous effort.

“Not in the slightest.”

Starscream laughed again, her voice breathy. “Maybe I’ll head out, then. Lockdown’s still in town, I might swing by her motel. She gave me her room key, you know. Said she’d be there with a bottle of wine and she could think of all kinds of ways to--”

 _Damn it._ Megatron crushed their lips together, yanking Starscream’s hair back sharply and her chief of staff gasped, arching into her. The majority leader pushed her back into the wall, breaking the kiss and nipping sharply at her neck. Starscream whimpered softly. “Can Lockdown make you feel like this?” She left another mark, right where Starscream’s jaw curved to meet her neck, running her free hand over her body, and Starscream shuddered.

“Oh--God, Senator.”

“Answer me, Starscream, or I’ll get angry.” She squeezed her chief of staff’s thigh for emphasis.

“N-no. No one can but you.”

“That’s right.” Starscream’s eyes were half closed now and _god—_ she looked incredible with her lips parted and her dark skin glowing in the dim office light. Her clothes were askew and the marks on her neck were already visible and Megatron felt another rush of possessiveness. She wanted people to see. “Because you’re mine.” Her chief of staff tried to press closer to her but she kept her wrists pinned over her head with one hand, teasingly dragging her short nails down the sensitive skin inside of the girl’s arms with the other. Starscream’s whole body trembled. “Say it.”

“Yours.” Her voice was shaking. “Yours, Megatron. I’m yours.”

“You wanted my attention, princess?” She slipped her knee between Starscream’s thighs and relished the small, desperate noise the girl made. “You have it.”

* * *

Soundwave didn’t notice the box on her desk until she’d worked for nearly an hour. It was neatly wrapped in thin light green paper, and when she found the strategically placed piece of tape and unwrapped it she found a box of jasmine tea. Specifically, it was the brand she always drank at Slipstream’s.

When she left her office to fetch a mug and hot water, she nearly crashed into Starscream. She held up the teabag. “Gratitude: Offered.”

“Don’t mention it. Like, ever.” Starscream tugged at the high-necked blouse she was wearing.

Next Thursday, when she went to Slipstream’s, Starscream was already sitting at the table. “Good, you’re here. Talk to me about the AFL-CIO and why they’re stonewalling this labor bill.” Soundwave glanced at the mushroom tart and tea at her place and raised an eyebrow at Starscream, who shrugged. “I told the barista to order your usual.”

The barista looked rattled and Soundwave made the mental note to tip her extravagantly.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so thank you if you stuck around until the end of this, and normally I would just go on here about how much I love the cracky mess that is g1's "Enter the Nightbird" but I have something more exciting because LOOK AT WHAT Edennoir (02REN) MADE  
> https://twitter.com/virtual_nemesis/status/1082553755692785664  
> https://twitter.com/virtual_nemesis/status/1084215489935552512  
> I've been giddy all week about this amazing art and encourage you all to check out @virtual_nemesis on twitter. 
> 
> Also, you're probably wondering why I made up a cafe called "Slipstream's." Well, I didn't (I am not nearly that creative). It's a thing. Here's their website. I'm kind of in love with their tea selection. http://slipstreamdc.com/


End file.
